Blog Posts for Brandon R Schrand

Yaddo or Bust

Brandon R Schrand — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:28:12 -0700

I have been offered a one month residency at Yaddo, the artist community in Saratoga Springs, New York. I will be in residence from mid-June to mid-July, and will be working on my second book, Works Cited: Falling Up & Down in a Bookless World.I am by turns thrilled and freaked out. Thrilled that I will have the time to finish my book. Thrilled that it's like, you know, Yaddo, the place I ...

2009 Get Lit! Cyber-Panel: What Keeps Me Writing?

Brandon R Schrand — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:55:17 -0700

I have been invited to read and sit on a couple of panels at the 2009 Get Lit! festival in Spokane, Washington. This year, they are hosting a cyber-panel of festival authors who respond to the question, “What Keeps Me Writing?” What keeps me writing? This is a good question. Is it too obvious to say that I am curious about my world and that the surest and most satisfying way for me to ...

Essay Wins Carter Prize

Brandon R Schrand — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:41:18 -0800

My essay, “The Bone Road,” which was published in Shenandoah (Fall 2008), has just won the Thomas H. Carter Prize for the Essay for that magazine. Other writers who have won in the past include Rebecca McClanahan, Paul Zimmer, Seamus Heaney, Margot Singer, and others. In addition to the $1,000.00 booty, I will select next year’s winner.

Blog Round Up

Brandon R Schrand — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:52:05 -0700

This is what some blogs are saying about my book (and I am happy to report that everything so far--knock on wood--has been praise). No stones thrown yet. Charlotte Rains Dixon has blogged at Book Strumpet about The Enders Hotel. Erica at Inch by Inch has wonderful things to say, as does the Lone Star Librarian over at her blog, SpeedofLight. Lisamm at Books on the Brain recommends The Enders ...

Toni Morrison with My Book (Photo #2)

Brandon R Schrand — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:15:06 -0700

Because I SUCK as a blogger and CANNOT figure out how to load two images into a single blog, I have posted this one separately. Look closely. Closer... closer... closer still. See it? Enlarge photo and you can see that she is in fact holding a copy of my book.What does it all mean? Well, nothing really. But you know, one feels compelled to post stuff like this.

Toni Morrison & My Book? Really?

Brandon R Schrand — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:08:34 -0700

So awhile back, I blogged here about how I had the mind-twisting, stomach-fluttering opportunity to sign a copy of my little book for Toni Morrison. For full context--and because I am tired and need to cook dinner for my wife on Mother's day--please jump here to read the how/what/when/where surrounding my signing of the book for the Nobel Laureate. But today I got two photos back from the Obama ...

Essay Wins the Pushcart Prize

Brandon R Schrand — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:45:05 -0700

Two years ago, I was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and was given a "Special Mention." Last year I was nominated again and, again, received a "Special Mention." (Not that I'm complaining by any means...) And so this year, on my third nomination, I actually won the thing. I have, in other words, been invited to sit at the Grown Ups Table. My essay, "Eleven Ways to ...

Readings at Home: A Rock Star Welcome

Brandon R Schrand — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:35:09 -0700

This past week I had the opportunity to give a reading on my home turf in the University of Idaho’s Administration Building Auditorium. The crowd numbered between 200 and 300 people and I was pleased/embarrassed/thrilled that a group of my former students—led by two whom I will refer to here as “T.J.” and “Julie”—actually printed up bootleg T-shirts with my photo on them. And not ...

Home Again, Home Again...

Brandon R Schrand — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 06:32:18 -0700

Have returned from the first leg of my book tour. Clear skies all the way home. Had a wonderful time and I very much look forward to hitting the road again. But now--sigh--it is back to work. Check back for more posts on upcoming events. I will be reading next week at the University of Idaho and a week later in Richland, Washington. With any luck, I will also be able to post some photos of these ...

First Reading a Success!

Brandon R Schrand — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:03:04 -0700

My first reading on the book tour--held at the Rocky Mountain Writers' Festival, here in Pocatello, Idaho--was very well attended, and went off without a hitch (which had everything to do with the great people behind the event: the poets, Greg Nicholl & Bethany Schultz Hurst). I read for about 45 minutes or so, met a lot of wonderful people, and even reconnected with some old friends. ...